Bloggers in Kazakhstan now subject to taxation and advertising regulations

Fifteen bloggers have already declared 1.5 billion tenge ($3 million) in income and contributed 75 million tenge to the state budget. Jumangarin stated that large taxpayers and construction companies are also subject to the same scrutiny, serving as examples of how the Tax Committee operates.

According to the deputy minister, an internal document containing a list of bloggers with tax debts was leaked, revealing aspects of the Tax Committee’s work. He also noted that similar notifications had been sent to representatives of large businesses.

In Kazakhstan, popular social media users must pay taxes on earnings from their platforms, blogs, and advertising revenues. The relevant law was signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Under the new regulations, influencers are required to properly label advertisements, take responsibility for their content, and maintain official financial records. Users of online platforms who distribute false information will face administrative penalties of up to 20 monthly calculation indices (MCIs).

For bloggers engaged in business activities, the penalty will be 40 MCIs. Furthermore, under the recent amendments, online platform owners must cooperate with state authorities in combating tax evasion and the spread of false information.